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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kick — in football
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com